About Teacher Education in Aberdeen
Teacher training institutions were first set up in Scotland after the Education Act of 1872, and two training colleges were established in Aberdeen soon after. One by the Church of Scotland (Old Baptist Church, George St) and the other by the Free Church (Charlotte St).
In 1905 a reorganisation took place of the teacher training provision in Scotland. Four Provincial Committees were set up on a regional basis, with one based in Aberdeen. It took, however, until 1920 for the transition from Church colleges to the Aberdeen Training College to be completed and for a new Training College to be opened in St. Andrews St capable of handling 500 student teachers. In 1926 two student hostels were built on a green field site in Hilton.
When the St. Andrews St. building became too small in the 1960s for the rising number of teachers under training, Hilton became the site for the new Aberdeen College of Education campus. By 1973 it was capable of accommodating more than 2000 students.
In 1987 Aberdeen College of Education merged with Dundee College of Education and became Northern College with a presence in Aberdeen and Dundee.
Subsequently, Northern College (Aberdeen) merged with the University of Aberdeen, and Northern College (Dundee) merged with the University of Dundee. In Aberdeen, the merger resulted in the formation of the Faculty of Education, which thereafter became the School of Education.
Aberdeen College of Education Retired Staff Association
When the association was inaugurated, most of the retiree members had spent much of their professional lives working within Aberdeen College of Education. Thus, for historical reasons, this staff association is commonly known as ACERSA, Aberdeen College of Education Retired Staff Association.
Membership of ACERSA is, however, open to any former members of staff of Aberdeen Training College, Aberdeen College of Education, Northern College (Aberdeen), Northern College (Dundee), and the Faculty of Education and the School of Education (University of Aberdeen)
ACERSA social group meetings take place four times per annum in the Royal Northern & University Club, 9 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB10 1YE. In addition, a Christmas lunch or dinner is held annually in the same venue.
ACERSA also has a Facebook page where it is possible to obtain further information and to make contact with members.